Feeling Haute Haute Haute

From the low-budget runway shows you put on for mom and dad as a kid to the way you now stare longingly into boutique windows  its safe to say that youve always had a bit of a thread lust. As an adult your tastes have matured with you. While you still lean toward the glamorous, youve also cultivated a devotion for fine lines, uncommon textures, and shapes that give poise and balance to a bodys form. Thats where Gen Art comes in. The organization is dedicated to showcasing the best emerging designer talent across the country. Its biggest and grandest affair of the year  Fresh Faces in Fashion -- is occurring on Saturday in South Beach at the positively plush Gansevoort South Hotel (2377 Collins Ave., Miami). This years installment features a jaw-dropping display of mostly-regional designers, and its your chance to bat an eye at their newest clothing lines before theyre ripped from the models and displayed proudly in boutiques nationally.

All participants are on fames cusp: Georgia-girl-turned-Italian-thread-hound Megan Huntz creates hand-stained, raw silk delicacies that flirt and ripple down the female form. Miamis sister act duo, Shumaq, anchors its ultra xx-chromosomal duds at the shoulders  allowing the clothing to play up and down our lovely lady lumps. Grace Suns (New York) collection has a gentle, wearable quality  while bringing out a touch of ´70s sophisticate, it stays rooted firmly in the modern. Our best pick for womens fashion is the New York power team Bensoni. Created by Parsons alums Benjamin Channing Clyburn and Sonia Yoon, the petal-like forms of the collection draped over willowy models gives you a hunch of what Olive Oyl might have ascended to if only she had developed a passion for couture. Also, check out menswear by August Alexander, internationally-inspired swimwear by Miamis Fabiana Ferreira, and accessories to pull them all together by Malcolm Fontier, Nazly Villamizar, and Septimo. Tickets cost $45 to $75. Get them before theyre off the rack at 305-695-8200, or visit www.genart.org.
Sat., April 12, 2008

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